• by Denise Restauri , February 23, 2012

It’s February, the month of love. I was listening to teenage girls talk about the “perfect” date and I thought, What a teen wants from a perfect date is what she wants from the perfect company.

1) Be honest and transparent. Do what you say you’re going to do. Don’t disappoint her. If you say your product is going to get rid of that pimple that she thinks is a mountain on her nose, make sure it does.

2) Show her that you’re interested in her without stalking her.

3) Talk to her and keep the conversation dynamic. Give her great reasons to like you and follow you.

4) Make her smile and laugh. But stop with the stupid humor.

5) Compliment her.

6) Don’t be pushy or bossy. She gets the message that you have something you want her to love. Give her time to warm up.

7) If you’re unsure about anything, consult with another female. Don’t ask a guy.

8) Sing to her. She loves music.

9) Let her be smart. Even better, give her opportunities to be smart and congratulate her.

10) Let her constantly test you. She loves samples.

11) Make the world a better place. You want to promote gender equality? Don’t just talk about it, do something and include her.

12) Get a cute puppy. And if you have a baby brother, that’s perfect.

Now a sneak peak into the head and heart of a 16-year-old girl:

Q: Tell us about the media you love and engage in, from TV shows to online chats to blogs to anything.

A: My favorite media is probably music. I feel like there are some songs that just perfectly explain how I feel or a situation I’m in and it’s somehow comforting. Other than that, I like photography and TV shows/movies.

Q: How do you access the stuff and when?

A: YouTube, Hulu, the radio, hanging out with friends, commercials/ads and I access it whenever I have free time – something I never seem to have enough of!

Q: Who are the media stars in your world?

A: To be honest, there really isn’t anyone in the media I look up to very much. Stars usually do something that disappoints me.

Q: What media do you absolutely hate?

A: I hate news channels. I feel like the news doesn’t really concentrate on the important things. Instead of concentrating on a candidate’s morals, I feel like they concentrate on superficial things such as gender or race or they twist the candidate’s words to make them seem unintelligent. If I asked anyone in my school to tell me something about Sarah Palin, they would respond with something like “she can see Russia from her house” or “she looks like a man” because that’s how she’s portrayed in the news. I’m not saying she’s brilliant or perfect for the job but I don’t think that anyone really concentrates on who a person is.

Q: Who are your favorite actors and musicians right now and why?

A: I love Will Ferrell and Adam Sandler because they’re both really funny and in movies I like a lot. I like a lot of music/songs so I don’t have just one favorite musician. I love everyone from Eminem to Billy Joel.

Q: What are your fave brands?

A: I loovvee Moroccan Oil. I put it on the ends of my hair after showers. It smells really good and helps keep my hair from getting frizzy and dried out, especially since I straighten my hair pretty often. I also love Biore products for my skin because they tend to work really well for me.

Q: How do you view girl change-makers? Are you one?

A: I look up to girls who have the strength to be a change-maker. A lot of people underestimate teenage girls because we’re young and not male so, therefore, not good enough. I’m not sure if I’m much of a change-maker. I do what I can to make a change in my community and amongst my friends and stuff, but I don’t really know how to be a change-maker on a larger scale.